The invention relates generally to submersible vehicles, and more particularly to a monocoque-body submersible vehicle system that can be delivered in the air to its water destination.
Manned submersible vehicles are used in a variety of naval and civilian activities. xe2x80x9cDryxe2x80x9d submersible vehicles are constructed to keep water out of the various operator compartments whereas xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d submersible vehicles must be piloted by scuba-equipped operators as the vehicle is allowed to fill with water during the submerging thereof. Dry submersible vehicles are generally large and are designed for long underwater missions. Wet submersible vehicles provide a number of advantages when compared to dry submersible vehicles. For example, wet submersibles are neutrally buoyant and, therefore, require less power than a comparablysized dry submersible which needs a greater amount of propulsion power to overcome the vehicle""s inherent buoyancy. Thus, wet submersible vehicles can be smaller thereby making them more maneuverable in shallow and/or obstacle-laden water environments. Further, wet submersibles are ideal for search and rescue missions since the operators thereof are already outfitted with scuba gear and can quickly exit the vehicle when needed.
Current state-of-the-art wet submersible hulls are constructed as follows. Individual aluminum frame members are welded together. Fiberglass and aluminum-reinforced panels are then hand-trimmed and fitted over the frame to form the outer skin or body of the vehicle. Each panel is individually machined or cast, polished, and welded to adjacent panels on the frame. Precision alignment tolerances are very difficult to achieve thereby making this construction complex and expensive. Poor tolerances between is the door panels and their openings create undesirable acoustic noise (as the submersible moves through the water) that can be detected by sensors. Further, this type of construction is non-homogeneous which makes it easier to detect acoustically. Still further, the amount of structural metal used makes the resulting vehicle relatively heavy thereby limiting the number of means that can be used to deploy it. That is, current wet submersibles can only be delivered near their ultimate destination by a surface or sub-surface mothership to protect and transport the submersible. The large amount of structural metal used also makes the vehicle more xe2x80x9cvisiblexe2x80x9d to both underwater and above-water detectors, e.g., sonar, magnetically-tripped mines, radar, etc.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a submersible vehicle system.
Another object of the present invention to provide a submersible vehicle system having an improved hull construction.
Still another object of the present invention to provide a submersible vehicle system having a strong, lightweight hull that simplifies and expands the possibilities for deployment thereof.
Yet another object of the present invention to provide a submersible vehicle system having a hull construction of reduced signature in terms of visual radar, magnetic and/or acoustic detectors.
A still further object of the present invention to provide a submersible vehicle system that can be deployed in the air from an aircraft.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, an air-delivered submersible vehicle system has a monocoque-construction shell made from a fiber-reinforced plastic material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics and thermoset plastics. The shell has reduced visual, radar, magnetic, and acoustic signatures predicated on the monocoque construction and the materials used. Strength members can be imbedded in the shell during the construction thereof. At least one door is formed integrally in the shell for gaining entrance thereto. The shell is equipped with a wing kit so that it can be deployed from an aircraft and fly through the air to a destination at a surface of a body of water. The shell is further equipped as a submersible vehicle so that it can be propelled through the water.